I'll be in Albequerque New Mexico with my wife who is a pastel artist June 6-9th. While she's at the IAPS convention I'd like to visit local pottery studios, galleries or events. Anyone know of a few I can visit?

I recommend visiting pueblos that are in the area; your hotel should be able to guide you. There are several within a nice drive. If you have a car and some time, find Madrid, not so much for pottery, but it is an art town, much in the hippy tradition, but updated. If you have seen the movie "Wild Hogs", much of the movie locations were here and surrounding conuntryside. also find " Old Town" there in Alberquerque, it's the oldest part of town. Coyote Clay and New Mexico Clay are in Alberquerque and might be a fun stop.

I prefered Santa fe and Taos to Albequerque. They are one and a half hours north. You have Santa Fe Clay which has visiting artists and a pottery studio. In the desert west of Taos, you have the Earth Ships built out of rubber tires and recycled materials by Michael Reynolds. An entire community living off the grid. Tons of you tube videos about him.
TJR

I recommend visiting pueblos that are in the area; your hotel should be able to guide you. There are several within a nice drive. If you have a car and some time, find Madrid, not so much for pottery, but it is an art town, much in the hippy tradition, but updated. If you have seen the movie "Wild Hogs", much of the movie locations were here and surrounding conuntryside. also find " Old Town" there in Alberquerque, it's the oldest part of town. Coyote Clay and New Mexico Clay are in Alberquerque and might be a fun stop.

I prefered Santa fe and Taos to Albequerque. They are one and a half hours north. You have Santa Fe Clay which has visiting artists and a pottery studio. In the desert west of Taos, you have the Earth Ships built out of rubber tires and recycled materials by Michael Reynolds. An entire community living off the grid. Tons of you tube videos about him.TJR

I prefered Santa fe and Taos to Albequerque. They are one and a half hours north. You have Santa Fe Clay which has visiting artists and a pottery studio. In the desert west of visi.Taos, you have the Earth Ships built out of rubber tires and recycled materials by Michael Reynolds. An entire community living off the grid. Tons of you tube videos about him.TJR

I love Santa Fe also, have you been to a pueblo? Haven't spent enough time in Taos, next visit in 4 mos. Can hardly wait for it.Joy

I prefered Santa fe and Taos to Albequerque. They are one and a half hours north. You have Santa Fe Clay which has visiting artists and a pottery studio. In the desert west of visi.Taos, you have the Earth Ships built out of rubber tires and recycled materials by Michael Reynolds. An entire community living off the grid. Tons of you tube videos about him.TJR

I love Santa Fe also, have you been to a pueblo? Haven't spent enough time in Taos, next visit in 4 mos. Can hardly wait for it.Joy

Joy;I was trying to think of an equivalent analogy. This was like going to Egypt and not visiting the pyramids. Drove all the way there-three days with my pregnant wife.Did not realize that there were pueblos there. It was 114 degrees.We were in a lttle quarter ton truck.Went to Colarado.Visited Doug Casebear at Anderson Ranch.Did the sky highway or whatever its called. That was a white knuckle ride. I liked Fort Collins. Liked Taos, and Santa Fe. Albuquerque was just another big city to me. Saw the Rio Grande.My daughter is now 15, so you can see that it was a while ago.TJR.

Coyote Clay (home of Coyote Glazes) and New Mexico Clay are both in Albuquerque and only a few miles apart. Santa Fe Clay has a nice gallery. Local studios can be found at http://claystudiotour.com/ I believe that the Railrunner train http://www.nmrailrun...e/train-weekday will take you from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and back for $11 on a day pass. The train station is only a few blocks from Santa Fe Clay and a short bus ride to the town plaza. You will want to come back and stay much longer to see all the wonderful things New Mexico has to offer.

If you do get to Taos, do go see the Taos Pueblo. The community housing there has been in continuous use for 1100 years. Should you get there before 8 AM, you will walk out into the square and wonder where are the people. About 9 or so the shops will start to open and the pueblo comes alive.

I prefered Santa fe and Taos to Albequerque. They are one and a half hours north. You have Santa Fe Clay which has visiting artists and a pottery studio. In the desert west of Taos, you have the Earth Ships built out of rubber tires and recycled materials by Michael Reynolds. An entire community living off the grid. Tons of you tube videos about him.TJR

Thanks TJ. good suggestions, right up my alley.

Ah, Northern New Mexico. I was raised in Los Alamos and Espanola (both north of Santa Fe) and the dirt and air, I think, infused my blood with the love of pottery. If you want the true New Mexico experience, skip the commercial galleries and vendors and locate some of the pueblos, whose residents sell their wares (most of them fired in pits or ovens in their back yard), and visit them. You can see some lovely works and buy them quite cheap. San Ildefonso is a really good one, so is Santa Clara. In Santa Fe, the Palace of the Governors, which is akin to the "town square," on Saturdays features local potters and other Native Americans who sell their works set on blankets under the portals of old, old adobe buildings.